Ethnic Minorities and Political Support: An Examination of Mass Attitudes in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus, 1998 (ICPSR 3713)

The objective of this collection was to study the
attachment of minorities, especially ethnic Russians outside Russia,
to their country of residence and assess their level of support for
its institutions and leaders. The survey posed the following
questions: If variation in loyalty and support exist within a given
minority, what explains the variation at the individual level? Is
political support by ethnic minorities a rational calculation or is it
the result of subjective, identity-relat... (more info)

The objective of this collection was to study the
attachment of minorities, especially ethnic Russians outside Russia,
to their country of residence and assess their level of support for
its institutions and leaders. The survey posed the following
questions: If variation in loyalty and support exist within a given
minority, what explains the variation at the individual level? Is
political support by ethnic minorities a rational calculation or is it
the result of subjective, identity-related factors? Respondents were
asked a series of questions about their perceptions of nationality,
their attitudes toward the independence of their nation, the current
state of their country compared with its former existence as part of
the Soviet Union, and their financial position and future prospects,
as well as the economic condition of their nation and the development
of market economies. Additional questions focused on the status of
the political system in which they resided, including trust in
government, the development of democracy, which groups of people were
being served by the government, feelings about personal political
rights and the rights of the Russian-speaking population, ties with
Russia, relations with other countries in Europe, human rights, the
status of Russian culture, and common interests with other nations in
the world. Respondents also provided information on their national
language, which foreign languages children should study in school, and
the importance of the Russian language. In addition, there were a
variety of questions about employment, workers' rights, medical care,
income levels, free speech, interest in politics, trust in other
people, participation in elections, life satisfaction, feelings about
other nationalities, preferences for interactions with other
nationalities at work and home, and attitudes toward emigration and
provision of gifts to government officials. Demographic items include
employment status, earnings, citizenship, sex, country of birth, level
of education, marital status, household composition, and age.

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Universe:
The Russian-speaking minority population of Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus.

Data Types:
survey data

Data Collection Notes:

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Methodology

Sample:
The sample design and methodology varied slightly among
the three countries surveyed in this collection. In Kazakhstan and
Belarus a probability sample was drawn beginning with primary sampling
units (PSU). A few of the largest cities in both nations were also
designated as "self-representing" areas and were included
automatically in the sample. Stratification based on characteristics
of the population of regions in these two nations was also used to
increase the precision of the estimates. In Kyrgyzstan it was
necessary to pre-select several oblasts (regions) to ensure variation
in the concentration of Russian-speaking residents in the respondent's
locality. The specific localities, areas within localities, and
residences were still randomly selected. In the final selection stage
in all three nations, Russian-speaking minorities were selected by
excluding members of the titular nationality and non-Russian-speaking
minorities (for example, Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan who do not speak
Russian).